Disclaimer: I don't own Oblivion, only my own made up characters.
Here is the next chapter, sorry it took so long but better late than never.
"Jackaava your back! About time you lazy hound, what took you so long?" Dar'Zahirr says jumping off a crumbling wall.
"I ran into some... complications," I mumble.
"What happened?" Dar'Zahirr says worriedly, picking up on my mood right away.
"Well for starters I killed the guy I was meant to bring back."
"Jackaava! Do you have any idea how much trouble you will be in? By Zenithar, I don't even want to think about it!"
"Then don't! I do have some good news that I will be telling Lord Byrus so keep your shirt on!" I snap at him.
Dar'Zahirr steps up beside me and puts his arm around my shoulders. "Alright then buddy, at least let me accompany you as you face the dreadful wrath of Lord Byrus," he says sombrely ruining the effect by smiling.
I roll my eyes at him and shaking off his arm I walk steadily away towards the fort and it isn't long before one of the other bandits, a young fair haired, blue eyed Nord, runs up and tells me Byrus wants my report immediately. Feeling a little gloomy I follow the bandit to Lord Byrus's chambers where (judging by the look Byrus is giving me, he isn't happy) Lord Byrus sits his arms crossed. "Wow he sure is giving you the evil eye, what did you do?" The blue eyed Nord whispers to me.
"That is enough Lone. You may go now," Lord Byrus says sharply.
"Yes sir."
Lone leaves and there is an awkward moment where Lord Byrus just sits there and looks at me, making me feel uncomfortable.
"Is there something the matter milord?" I say just to break the silence.
Lord Byrus leans forward in his chair looking me in the eye. "Yes, but lets leave that issue for later. Right now what I want to know is where is Strawk?"
"Yeah, about that. He's ummm, he is dead sir," I say hanging my head.
Lord Byrus taps his fingers on the arm of his chair, his face grave. "I see how did this come to be?"
"I killed him in his home."
"Jackaava," Lord Byrus sighs, "you better have a good explanation. You know what the consequences will be if you don't."
"Sir," I say lifting my head, "he would not come with me, no matter what I tried. He said it wasn't his destiny to and. he seemed to know all about our group and he knew exactly where out fort is located but he has never been here right?"
"That is true. Strawk has never been here, from what you say it sounds like he is some sort of seer. That would explain how he knew our location and I'm glad you made sure he could not disclose it to anyone else, but Jackaava did you at least get the location of The Purus Cup before you killed him?"
"No I didn't even ask him."
"Why not?"
"Because he told me that the Makt would find it's way here," I say.
"What is Makt?" Dar'Zahirr asks a puzzled look on his face.
"Makt is what he called the power we seek," I reply.
"Are you sure about this Jackaava?" Lord Byrus frowns.
"Yes, I believe someone from his family has the power too and will somehow make their way here," I say confidently.
"Well that is a relief. We shall just wait until this person comes along," Lord Byrus says relieved.
"Yeah now Lord Byrus, what was that other issue you mentioned?" I ask.
"Ah yes, apparently there is a RedGuard mage who has been asking about you around Chorrol. Care to explain?"
"Damn Mirisa!" I say shaking my head.
"Oh, so you know this RedGuard then?" Dar'Zahirr says, "How do you know her?"
"I helped her in Skingrad, she helped me. We traveled together to Anvil, oh and she knows I'm a bandit."
"How?" Lord Byrus says.
"We met Ahadar along the road and I certainly couldn't harm him without angering the rival bandits, so I talked him into leaving and she guessed," I say.
"Well I guess there was nothing you could do but we must do something about her," Lord Byrus says, "Jackaava, you Dar'Zahirr, and Lone will go and bring her here before she does something like lead the guards here, got it?"
"Yes sir," I say nodding.
"Good now go find Lone and bring that girl by midnight tonight. I want to see her the minute you three get her."
HOURS LATER
Mirisa's POV
"Don't be too long Mirisa! And be careful, I don't want you getting yourself hurt!" Aunt Rasheda calls after me from the door of her shop, Fire and Steel.
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine! I will be back soon!" I call back from the gate.
I walk out the gate heading for the forest in search for what else? The fort where the bandits and more importantly Jackaava are. No one around town has really known anything about the bandits or their location so here I am. Searching the forest around Chorrol. I figure since he mentioned selling things to Aunt Rasheda, the fort must be nearby. I haven't ventured to far when I think I hear the whispers of voices ahead and I see a flash of movement just beyond the trees ahead.
For half a second I'm scared then I realize that it may be bandits, which odds are they know where Jackaava is! So I run forward towards where I heard voices with a spell prepped in my hand just in case, but when I reach the spot where I thought I saw something there is not a soul in sight. I turn around in a full circle but still nothing disturbs the night and I wonder did I just imagine it?
The movement could be any sort of creature down to a bunny and the voices a trick of the wind, so I must have been mistaken. There is no one here but when I turn to leave a ball of green light appears out of thin air and hits me in the chest making me fall to the ground. I try to move but when I do I can't which can only mean one thing, paralysis spell! From my view of the forest floor I see a pair of black boots appear and a horribly familiar voice addresses other out of my line of sight. "She is paralysed now Lone. Quit looking so scared and pick her up, she can do you no harm," Jackaava tells someone.
"Sure thing boss but if she burns me it's on your head," a voice replies back.
"Don't be such a baby Lone, now lets move before she is missed," another voice says.
I feel two sets of arms lift me and I watch Jackaava's back as my captors carry me way from the safety and help of the city. It feels like ages but soon an old weathered fort appears and we proceed inside past the guards. I cry silent tears that pool and quietly fall to the floor, how could he do this? Jackaava I never expected you to do this to me, you were so nice, I would never have thought you would treat me in such a way. Then again I never saw all of you did I? When I was with you, you weren't yourself, I know what I saw of you was apart of you but what I man was I wasn't seeing the whole you but now I do.
A warm crackling fire enters my field of vision as I'm placed upon the floor again and I hear a creak as someone nearby sits down in a chair. "Good work Jackaava. You and the others did a splendid job, now how long until she can speak?" A voice I have not heard yet says.
"Any minute now, the paralysis spell should wear off soon," Jackaava says to the voice and he is right I can already twitch my fingers.
"Good," The voice pauses. "Let it be known girl that there are three highly trained bandits in this room, not including myself, and one of them has an extensive knowledge of magic as well, so no funny business or we will kill you. Understand?"
"Yea," I manage to say.
"Ah, so you can talk. Sit up so we can have a proper conversation girl," the voice says.
Slowly I sit up and take in the room around me. It is not that big, there's a bridge leading back into the fort, a plain bed, a big chest, and a chair behind it. Sitting in that chair is a RedGuard in steel armour; Jackaava is standing beside the RedGuard his arms crossed and his hood up. I try to desperately catch his eye but when I do I nearly recoil because the look in it is so much colder and harder than when I last saw him. He just isn't the same Jackaava. "Girl or Mirisa as I am told, what I want to know first is who are you?" The RedGuard in the chair says.
"My name is Mirisa, I am an associate of the Mages Guild and I live with my Aunt Rasheda in Chorrol," I say shakily to the RedGuard all the while trying to find a glimmer of the Jackaava I remember.
"I'm going to need a little more detail that that, like where you're from? We know you haven't always lived in Chorrol, you haven't been around long enough," the RedGuard says with a small laugh.
"No, I am from Cyrodill but my mother has always traveled. She is a guide, a sellsword you could say, she sent me to Aunt Rasheda not too long ago because she thought I needed a more stable place to live than the road and she knew I've always wanted to study magic. So she sent me to Chorrol also so I could learn from the Mages Guild there."
"Okay," the RedGuard nods. "But why were you asking for Jackaava around Chorrol?"
"Because I like him and I really wanted to see him again," I say my lip starting to tremble.
"You must have known we would do something about your questions eventually right?"
"Yes I know but I saw it as a chance to find you."
"Do you have any idea how much danger you put us all in?" A khajiit standing just behind me exclaims angrily.
"Yea, you could of gotten us all killed!" A blue-eyed Nord pipes in.
"I don't know what you ate talking about," I say confused.
"It's exactly how he said it. You could have led the guards or the Mages Guild or even the Fighters Guild here, and what do you think they would have done?" Jackaava finally speaks his voice all emotionless and flat. "They would have killed all of us, including the women and the children. What do you think of that?"
"I never thought of that," I say horrified.
"Try thinking before acting Mirisa," Jackaava says a little scornfully.
I could have killed them all. Just the thought of what I could have done shocks me right down to my core. The guards storming the fort... killing everyone... striking Jackaava down... oh gods, I can't believe I almost did that! "I'm so sorry, it was not my intention to bring a misfortune like that upon you," I say a little teary.
"Well, luckily that didn't happen," the big RedGuard, says.
"So what happens now?" I sniff. "Do you let me go or what?"
"Well..." the RedGuard starts slowly, "we can't really let you go after what you have seen and heard, you know too much."
"Then I'd like to ask of you something."
"What pray tell is that?" The RedGuard asks.
"May I join you?" I reply.
"You can't be serious," the Nord behind me snorts.
"I'm completely serious. I would like to join as a healer, it's what I'm trained for," I say sitting up a little straighter. "I bet you guys could use a good healer, just ask Jackaava. I healed his arm back from a mashed up mess after it got pounded by a Nether Lich."
Everyone looks at Jackaava and he rather unwillingly says. "It is true she healed my arm after I had sustained a significant injury."
"And how is your arm now?" The RedGuard asks Jackaava.
"It's fine," Jackaava says swinging his arm, " just as good as it was before."
The RedGuard nods then sits back in his chair pondering for a minute while I anxiously await his answer. "I suppose we could use a healer," he says finally.
"Really? Thank you!" I beam.
"Are you sure about this my lord?" Jackaava frowns.
"Yes I'm sure Jackaava, now please show her to where she will be lodging."
"Report to me in the morning Mirisa. Don't worry about getting lost, Dar'Zahirr will escort you," the RedGuard adds to me pointing at the khajiit behind me.
Everyone leaves until is just Jackaava and me with Jackaava standing impatiently waiting for me to get up. I rise to my feet, wincing as the blood rushes back into my legs, and I follow Jackaava out back into the fort. Everything is quiet as we travel through the fort, no one is around it is just Jackaava and me. 'If I were to escape now would be the time," I think looking at Jackaava's back.
"This is will you will be sleeping from now on," Jackaava says stopping in front of an open door showing a small closet like room, with only enough room for a bed and a small desk.
"And don't even think about trying to escape because there is a special enchantment at the end of each corridor that will notify me if you try to leave without being escorted by one of us, understand?"
"Yes I understand," I say to him, going in and sitting on the bed. "Listen Jackaava, can we talk?"
"What is there to say?" Jackaava says leaning against the doorframe.
"I'm sorry for what I almost did to you."
"Forget it. That is in the past."
"And our relationship/" I ask almost not daring to speak.
"Also in the past," Jackaava says taking out his dagger and wiping it on his pants.
"Oh, okay," I say taking a deep breath.
"Now, now no crying. How about we start over as acquaintances? Not even acquaintances, strangers and maybe someday, possibly, we can be friends. That is if you live that long," Jackaava says grabbing the door handle.
"Okay I understand and..." I'm cut-off as the door slams shut and I'm left sitting there in the dark.
"Oh well," I think settling down into the bed.
At least we are like acquaintances now, which is better than nothing, and this is my chance to actually get to know him! One day we will be friends. I'm sure of it and until then I'll just have to work at getting his trust.
